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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29181228">Where You Belong</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSpideyy/pseuds/SunflowerSpideyy'>SunflowerSpideyy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump 2021 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:14:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,409</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29181228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSpideyy/pseuds/SunflowerSpideyy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"What do you mean Tony's my Dad?"</p><p>Peter and Ned get more than they bargained for while scrolling through the Shield files for a current events report- launching Peter into an existential crisis about his place in Tony's life, never even stopping to think about what would happen if that if that file file fell into the wrong hands.</p><p>Febuwhump Day 3 Alt. Prompt: Identity Reveal</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump 2021 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139171</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>421</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where You Belong</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey everyone! </p><p>So I figured after the last two being almost entirely angst that it's time for something a little more lighthearted- hope you guys enjoy! </p><p>Content Warning: CW // For: Kidnapping, references to poison injection, blood. </p><p>As always, if I missed anything you would like me to mention at the start, feel free to leave a comment!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Peter was sitting upside down on the ceiling, slowly reading through his chemistry flashcards when Ned gasped sharply, nearly choking on a bite of Rice Krispie treat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Jesus Ned, are you ok?" Peter asked, reaching over to pass him a water bottle that was sitting on the desk. His best friend stared at him with wide eyes as he grabbed the bottle blindly, looking as if he was in a daze. "Ok uh, did you actually choke on that or something cause you're looking at me a little weird," Peter teased, his eyebrow creasing in concern.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Peter</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Why didn't you tell me </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tony Stark</span>
  </em>
  <span> is your </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dad</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!" Ned's voice pitched up high with excitement, and Peter fell to the floor with a crash, landing in a heap of limbs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>What do you mean Tony's my Dad</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" he gasped, scrambling to his feet and staring at Ned with wide eyes. "How- where did you-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ok so remember how Ms. Carlyle assigned us that report on the Shield files that were released two years ago? Well I was looking through some of the agent files and while I was scrolling I saw- 'Mary Fitzpatrick, years active 19</span>
  <span>89-2004, children- one, Peter Parker' so I thought, man that's really weird that somebody has the same name as you, right? So I clicked on it and it says- 'Peter Parker, unaffiliated, born August 10th, 2001, parents: Mary Fitzpatrick and Tony Stark,'” Ned explained, turning his laptop to face his friend. Peter's jaw dropped as he read the information for himself, Ned was practically vibrating with excitement. "Dude, this is</span>
  <em>
    <span> insane</span>
  </em>
  <span>- honestly I think this might </span>
  <em>
    <span>officially</span>
  </em>
  <span> be the best thing that's ever happened to me- I mean, my best friend is related to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Iron Man</span>
  </em>
  <span>!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No! No- Ned, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you don't get it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrible</span>
  </em>
  <span>- oh my god, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what am I gonna do</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Peter collapsed next to his best friend, running an anxious hand through his hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean? You gotta tell him! Maybe he'll like give you your own R&amp;D lab or-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't tell him! You don't know Tony, he's going to completely freak out- he'll probably never want to talk to me again," Peter snapped, letting out a sigh as he tilted his head back. "Tony's not really a kid person ok? I'm pretty sure he only lets me hang around cause he feels guilty that I almost died saving his tech from the vulture,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But don't you think he has a right to know?" Ned pressed, his face falling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ned- I just- I really like hanging out with him ok? It's just really nice to sit in the lab together and work on stuff, </span>
  <span>like he just </span>
  <em>
    <span>gets it</span>
  </em>
  <span>- and I don't know, it almost feels like hanging out with Ben used to," Peter's voice got quiet as he leaned heavily into Ned's shoulder. “And if I tell him, all of that will just be gone,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can always try to hack into the database and delete your file," Ned said after a moment, and Peter let out a breathy laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean, if you can get in- I guess it wouldn't hurt,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course I can get in, I'm your guy in the chair,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>******</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter chewed on his lip, his focus never leaving the web-shooters he had laid out in front of him, the delicate piece of metal he needed to replace balancing at the end of his fingers. Gently snapping it into alignment, he breathed a sigh of relief before jumping back in his chair, startled at Tony's sudden appearance at the edge of his lab table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, I take it from your complete silence that the glamour of working with Iron Man has worn off huh? I can let you tinker with the gauntlets I'm upgrading if it'll restore my cool status," he said, a teasing smile on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Huh?" Peter blinked back at him, and Tony frowned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You feeling alright kiddo? I think you've said more words to me in a half hour once than you have all day today," Tony put his palm to Peter's forehead, and the teenager brushed him off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine Mr. Stark, I'm just tired that's all," he replied, shrinking under the man's gaze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing you're not telling me right? No tough patrol?" Peter shook his head. "No fights with May?" Peter shook his head again. "Is it MJ? Trouble in paradise?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mr. Stark</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Peter groaned, lightly hitting Tony on the shoulder as the man laughed. "It was just a long day at school ok? I had a calc quiz, a Spanish quiz, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> a history exam,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>None of that was necessarily untrue, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> exhausted, but it all paled in comparison to keeping the secret that loomed large in Peter's mind.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Lordy, that is a long day- how about we take a break huh? Go upstairs, order some takeout- we can even watch A New Hope for the fifty-sixth time,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony was already leading him out of the lab, a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Peter let him- pushing down the guilt he felt clawing at his stomach. Because deep down, these were his favorite nights. When Tony decided to throw in the towel on whatever project he had going, and they got to spend the rest of the night on the couch having a movie marathon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He'd fallen asleep on Tony's shoulder once, and though he'd been positively </span>
  <em>
    <span>mortified</span>
  </em>
  <span> the next morning, in the end he was sort of glad because it opened the door for Tony to talk to May about Peter sleeping over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now there was a room in Tony's private floor of the compound all his own, decked out in IKEA furniture that had given Peter a lifetime's worth of joy as he watched Tony slowly lose his mind while trying to assemble it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Uh Mr. Stark, is there supposed to be an extra screw?" Peter had asked, holding up the tiny piece of metal, and Pepper burst out laughing as Tony took a long breath through his nose, clearly trying not to scream.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"So, Mr. 'I graduated MIT at 17, I don't need the instructions', do you want to go downstairs and get the booklet out of the wastepaper basket or shall I?" Pepper teased while Peter desperately tried to hide his giggles, and Tony huffed, his aggravated façade breaking slightly as he ruffled Peter's curls.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, what're we feeling for dinner tonight huh? " Tony asked as they took their usual places on the couch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, we haven't had Korean food in a while,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You heard the kid Fri, put in our usual order alright? And add an order of those red bean donuts we got the last time ok? It's almost the weekend, we're celebrating,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter looked over at Tony excitedly, the man giving him a warm smile as the opening notes of the Star Wars theme started blaring through the TV speakers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And Peter knows he couldn't jeopardize this- not for anything.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>******</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure you don't want Happy to come pick you up? I know I promised we'd spend the long weekend at the compound," Tony asked, doing his best to sound calm, but Peter could still pick up on how harried he was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mr. Stark, I'm fine- just focus on the board meetings ok? It's going to be real awkward during dinner if Pepper's giving you the silent treatment for ditching her again,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter could hear Tony chuckle softly. "You're not wrong there kiddo," he admitted. "Still, sorry I have to cut our time short,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry about it, really. We still have Friday and Saturday, and I can handle walking home. Maybe I'll stop by Mr. Delmar's before patrol,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alright kid, tell Murph I said hello,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Will do Mr. Stark! Lov-" Peter clamped his mouth closed so fast he nearly bit his tongue, his phone almost flying out of his hands in his hurry to hit the off button, cutting Tony off before he could reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Great. Nice going Peter- you weirded him out, that's what you did," he muttered to himself, closing his eyes, a heavy exhale leaving his lips. Shaking his head, Peter kept walking, silently considering his odds of getting hit by a bus before Tony came to pick him up on Saturday. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Peter was so wrapped up in his existential crisis, he didn't feel his Spider-Sense flare until the last second, leaving no time to get his bearings before a hand clamped over his mouth- the cold metal of a gun pressing against his spine a moment later. There wasn’t even time to get a glimpse of the men around him before a piece of cloth was tied over his eyes, and someone was stepping forward to yank his arms behind his back and his wrists were bound tightly.</span> <span>The small whimper of pain that slipped out of his mouth was immediately muffled by a piece of duct tape,</span> <span>and Peter could hear a twisted chuckle come from behind him as a kick landed between his shoulder blades, sending him falling face-first into the pavement.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Struggling against his restraints gently, Peter instantly recognized the feel of plastic zip ties.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So they don't know about Spider-Man.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He's not sure whether to be more disappointed or relieved about that, because at least his identity isn't out, but now he's gotta pull his punches.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, we got him- bringing the kid over to you," One of the men said as Peter was yanked to his feet and tossed into the back of a van, his shoulder exploding with pain as he hit the metal floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Trying his best to look like this wasn't the fourth time he's been tied up and beaten just this month, Peter curled into himself protectively, letting out some frightened whimpers when he felt movement next to him. "Somebody shut the little brat up, yeah?" One of the guys called from the front, and suddenly there was a boot on his injured shoulder, and this time a very real cry of pain followed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You got that kid?" The man sneered, stomping down harder until Peter nodded wildly. The pressure released ever so slowly, the man clearly loath to let go. Afraid to even breathe, he simply laid there and let the van jostle him around, biting his cheek when he landed on his injured shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, the brakes screeched as they stopped, and Peter was tugged out of the van, stumbling as he tried to regain his balance. A pair of hands pushed him forward, the echo from the door slamming shut reverberating through the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know, being a Stark and all, I thought he'd put up a little bit more of a fight," a new voice commented, and ice ran through Peter's veins. "Get the blindfold off of him- and the tape too, c'mon, isn't that a little unnecessary?" The material in front of his eyes disappeared, and Peter blinked up at a man in glasses, his short hair sticking up wildly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That guy from the expo?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The confusion must've been apparent on his face, because the man smirked, reaching down to rip off the tape himself. "Initially I thought that you had to be Pepper's. I mean, her and your old man have been dancing around each other for over a decade at this point- it's only logical right? And that would've been the icing on the cake really, to get both of them at the same time- but I guess we gotta make do sometimes," he said, the self satisfied look never leaving his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter remained frozen, heart pounding in his chest. Ironically, this was one of the reasons that he didn't want to tell Tony in the first place. The vastness of the man's guilt knows no bounds; if he knew Peter was his kid he'd feel responsible for every bad patrol, every mission gone wrong- god forbid somebody target Peter </span>
  <em>
    <span>specifically</span>
  </em>
  <span> because he was Tony’s son. And now that fear was coming to fruition in the worst way possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>- please don't do this- I'm not who you think I am, not really. You're not gonna get what you want, you'll probably be lucky if he doesn't hang up- " Peter's voice died as the guy's face twisted in anger, a split second before the barrel of a gun was being slammed into his jaw.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't lie to me!" The guy bellowed, jabbing a finger in Peter's face. "I've watched you go in and out of the Avengers compound, I know you have access to Stark's private floors- and there's no way he would be letting a teenager around him if you're not who those reports say you are,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter hung his head, knowing he had no other choice but to see how all this would unfold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man turned on his heel and walked towards the back of the warehouse, slipping something off one of the tables and into his pocket before approaching Peter once more. "Does he have a phone? Grab his phone," One of the men shoved his hand into Peter's pocket, grabbing the device before tossing it to one of the other lackeys. "And geez, rough him up a little will ya? He looks spotless- haven't you guys ever done a ransom video before?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter braced himself for the barrage of hits he knew were coming, clenching his fists so tightly he broke the skin on his palm. There was a sharp kick to the back of his legs, and he collapsed to his knees, screaming in pain as they smashed into the concrete floor. A fist connected with his cheek, the familiar sharp pain telling Peter they broke the skin, and he fell backwards- the men wasting no time and landing some hard kicks to his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apparently, they decided he must've looked pitiful enough to tug at Tony's heartstrings because the men stepped back, the guy with the glasses coming forward instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ok, roll it," he instructed, the high pitch ringing of the video call dial tone echoing in the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey kiddo, did you-" Tony's voice came through the speaker before abruptly stopping, and Peter felt like crying. "Kid? Peter, what's going on?" His tone getting more and more panicked as he took in what was on the screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Look who I found, huh Stark?" The guy stepped out of the shadows and into view, bending down to grab Peter by the hair and yank him up into frame.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn't help a pained whimper from escaping his lips, even though he was desperately trying to look strong- knowing that Tony's guilt would compound every moment he was in pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hammer I swear to god, if you hurt him I'll-" His mentor's voice cut off as cold metal pressed into the side of Peter's head, a click sounding as a bullet slid into place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No please Stark, go on," Hammer taunted, and Peter didn't even have to look up to know that grin was back on his face. "You know, I'm actually kind of surprised you managed to keep him a secret all these years. With how many tabloids there are watching your every move, how many people you've pissed off who are dying to finally get the jump on you- I can't believe I was the first one to connect the dots,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hammer- what're you talking about?" Tony replied, and Peter closed his eyes, his stomach sinking slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I should've told him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Cut the crap Stark, you know what this is about. You took my career, my company- I'll never even get close to a </span>
  <em>
    <span>defense contract </span>
  </em>
  <span>again, never mind the pentagon. So, I think this is an even exchange; You took everything from me, and if I don't get what I want, I'll take your son away from you,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hammer- I don't know what you're on, but he's not my kid ok? Just let him go, and we can talk about this," Tony said evenly, and Peter's eyes flew open as the gun was pressed harder into his skull.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>really </span>
  <em>
    <span>should've told him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You really want to keep lying to me? Fine, I'll put a bullet in his brain right now,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hammer listen to me-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you listen to me</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I found the Shield reports, I saw the kid's name- the secret's out Stark,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter knew Tony was probably having Friday run the data in the background, and his suspicion was confirmed when the man took a shaky exhale, like the wind was knocked out of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ok. Ok, you got it, whatever you want- just don't lay another finger on him," Tony said, doing his best to make his voice sound even.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There, now isn't that better?" Hammer lowered the gun, Peter letting out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "So, I assume you're already tracking this location,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes," Tony admitted, and Hammer hummed in amusement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"First, you're going to give me 5 million dollars, and, since you know where we are, you're going to bring me a suit,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hammer- I'm not- I can't give you Iron Man, you know I can't," Tony said, his voice sounding strained. "Let's talk about this- I'll double the 5 million, just please-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know, I thought I might meet some resistance, so, for some</span>
  <em>
    <span> extra</span>
  </em>
  <span> motivation," Hammer trailed off as he pulled his hand out of his pocket, and the next thing Peter knew there was a needle being plunged into his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now the thing is, Peter's been drugged before. Many times. Too many times, actually. And usually, once something was injected into his bloodstream, the reaction was almost immediate. Whether it be blurry vision, a feeling of ice in his veins, a burst of pain- he always felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time he barely felt anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that's when it hit him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>His metabolism</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They don't know he's Spider-Man, and they have no idea these drugs aren't going to work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he let out a choked cry of pain, his body stiffening for a moment before going limp, rolling his eyes into the back of his head and falling deadweight into Hammer's arms- desperately hoping that was the right reaction for whatever he'd been given.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Peter!" Tony screamed, as Hammer lowered him to the ground. "What- what did you-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This," Hammer said, shaking the syringe in front of the camera. "Is going to cause major organ failure in about, let's say 25 minutes. You have that much time to give me my suit and my money, and if you play nice, I'll let you have the antidote before your kid's heart stops beating,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Peter- I'm coming kiddo, you're going to be ok, I promise- I just need you to hang on for me alright? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>-" One of the men must've hung up because Tony's voice suddenly cut out, the whole room going silent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For something that was supposed to cause major organ failure Peter felt surprisingly normal, all things considered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Putting his focus into staying completely still, it felt like ages before the metal door swung open, the hinges letting out a loud whine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hands where I can see them Stark," Hammer ordered sharply. "So, where's the suit?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You'll get it as soon as I see the antidote," Tony shot back, as footsteps sounded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Relax, I've got it right here- I promised the kid wasn't going to die if you upheld your end of the bargain, and I'm a man of my word," Hammer said easily. "Now, where-" The building shook as an explosion sounded from the other side of the room, glass scattering across the concrete floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Forgetting about his charade, Peter's eyes flew open just in time to see the War Machine armor shoot inside through the hole in the wall. A panel popped out of the shoulder, and in an instant, the four lackeys were down before they could even think about running.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Peter hadn't turned his head at the last second, he never would've seen it happen- Hammer raising his arm, a frenzied glint in his eye as he hurled the syringe at the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No!" Tony screamed as the glass shattered, the liquid splattering across the concrete.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rhodey took a more direct approach this time, shooting downwards and landing a punch so hard that Hammer crumpled to the floor almost immediately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Kid," Peter looked over as Tony fell to his knees beside him, an unreadable expression coming over his face. Before he could say anything he was being scooped into his mentor's arms, and Tony was running, careful not to jostle Peter as he ducked through the hole in the wall. "It's gonna be ok kiddo, I've got Cho out in the jet- we're gonna figure this out ok? Just don't close those eyes on me yeah? You're doing so good Peter," Tony's voice sounded wrecked, his hands shaking ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mr. Stark, I-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shh, don't talk kiddo, I need you to save your strength ok?" Tony cut him off as the ramp of the quinjet descended, Helen Cho standing at the top.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How long have we got?" She asked bluntly, and Peter could hear Tony's breath stutter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fifteen minutes," he murmured, setting his kid down on one of the emergency operating tables.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you know what he was injected with?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No- he- he didn't say, and the syringe wasn't marked,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alright, I'm going to run a sample of his blood- see if I can isolate what's in his system and send the data back to the lab so my team can have an antidote as soon as we touch down," Cho said, as Rhodey hurried up the ramp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are we- is there going to be enough time?" Tony’s voice trembled slightly, and Rhodey put a comforting hand on his shoulder, taken aback by the pure fear in his best friend’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't make any promises, it all depends on how quickly I can isolate the blood sample," Cho said, setting her equipment down next to the operating table as the jet lifted into the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony nodded his head sharply, his fists clenching for a moment before he turned back to Peter, a gentle smile coming across his face as he stood at the edge of the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Helen's gotta take a quick blood sample ok? Just look at me kiddo," Tony grabbed his hand as Peter felt the prick of the needle, the weird sensation at his arm lasting only a moment. "It's ok kiddo, you're going to be alright, I- I promise," Tony gently rubbed his thumb back and forth across the back of Peter's hand, eyes flickering over to Cho every few seconds.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Vision's already on site, he's personally taking Hammer and his cronies into custody," Rhodey said, though it did nothing to soothe the worry line in Tony's brow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mr. Stark, I'm fine, I-" Peter tried to interject, stopping when Tony squeezed his eyes shut, an anguished look coming across his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't have to make me feel better kiddo, this one- this one's all on me alright? God Peter, I'm so sorry- I should have- I should've known he'd been released, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should've seen</span>
  </em>
  <span>-" his voice gave out, and he cleared his throat before starting again. "I never should’ve let that Shield file on you see the light of day. Stane, my old business partner, he- he knew...</span>
  <em>
    <span>about you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he kept it from me- put a lock on all my systems so that anything involving your existence never made it past the firewall. So when Nat dumped the files that year- </span>
  <em>
    <span>I didn't know</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, I'm so sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Really Mr. Stark, I don't feel-" He was cut off by Helen's heels clicking madly as she ran over from the other side of the jet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Helen?" Tony said anxiously, his hand tightening ever so slightly around Peter's.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There's nothing," she blurted, and the group fell into a stunned silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean there's nothing?" Rhodey asked, his eyebrow furrowed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There's nothing in his blood. No sign of any kind of toxin or poison was present in the sample- it doesn't even look like a drug. There was some amount of glucose present, so whatever he was injected with was probably some form of glorified sugar water," Helen explained, with a bemused chuckle, and Tony stood there in shock, the color finally coming back to his cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Guess Hammer's as good at bio-chemical engineering as he is at weapons manufacturing," Rhodey deadpanned, the tension releasing from his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But- he seized, on the camera- Peter, you just went limp and I-" he stuttered, and the teenager gave a sheepish smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well after he put the injection in, I didn't feel anything- like, there was just absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span>- so I thought that my metabolism burned through the regular people drugs you know? So since they didn't know about Spider-Man and I didn't want to tip them off...I may or may not have uh- faked the whole passing out thing,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony's face cycled through about six different emotions before he settled on relieved, gently pulling Peter upright and wrapping his arms around his kid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> do that again Peter. God, kiddo- I thought I-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry Mr. Stark," Peter murmured into the material of Tony's suit jacket. "But hey, at least I got you out of that board meeting right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You are the worst, you know that?" Tony chuckled, rolling his eyes, but still holding Peter close.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>******</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was the fact that now there was official combination that he was not in fact  about to have heart failure, or maybe the adrenaline finally wore off, but as soon as he stepped off the quinjet ramp there were tears welling in his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"God, I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>exhausted</span>
  </em>
  <span>- somebody remind me to buy Pepper a bouquet of flowers for all the stunts I've pulled over the years, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jesus christ</span>
  </em>
  <span>-" Tony turned around, words dying in his throat, and he was by Peter's side the second he noticed the tears running down the teenager's cheeks. "What's the matter kiddo? Does something hurt, are you-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mr. Stark- You uh- you don't have to do this anymore," Peter said brokenly, reaching up to rub at his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do what kiddo?" Tony's face was pinched in confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Peter repeated, gesturing out towards the compound. "You can just have Happy take me home- and I won't ever bother you again, I promise,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Peter- why on Earth would you think I'd never want to see you again?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>You don't want kids</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Peter sobbed, and for the second time in twenty-four hours Tony felt the wind get knocked out of him, his head snapping to the side to meet Rhodey's </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> unimpressed gaze- the accompanying "</span>
  <em>
    <span>nice one Tones</span>
  </em>
  <span>" going unsaid.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony took a steadying breath, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. “You’re right, I didn't want kids. But then the smartest, kindest, most worryingly self-sacrificial little spiderling webbed me to his bedroom door, and you know what? In all the time since then, I finally got it- why people want to settle down. Growing up, my parents- we weren't really much of a family when it came down to it. </span>
  <span>But, those days when you come over for movie night, and we al</span>
  <span>l huddle underneath the blanket because Pepper has the body temperature of an ice cube, and you throw popcorn at me every time I nitpick the plot? I never thought I'd ever have something like that kiddo, and god, it makes me so happy," Tony said gently, putting one hand on Peter's shoulder. "I know I'm pretty useless when it comes to emotions- but I must be worse at it than I thought if I ever gave you the impression that I didn't love everything about having you in my life kiddo,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So you don't just let me hang around cause like- you feel bad about the whole Vulture thing?" Peter asked softly, and Tony's face fell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is that what you thought?" he asked, disbelief clear on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Jesus</span>
  </em>
  <span>, kiddo," Tony sighed, bringing his kid into a tight hug, one hand running up and down Peter's back soothingly. "You know, I was scared at the beginning- that's why I kept you at arms length. You were so young and earnest, and I could tell right away that there was a determination in you to right the world's wrongs- and I thought that I would mess that up," Peter leaned back and opened his mouth indignantly, the rebuttal on the edge of his tongue as Tony held up a finger to stop him. "Honestly, well, up until today at least, there was nothing I regretted more than those first three months, because once you started hanging around the compound, that building over there started to feel like a home. Basically, what I'm trying to say is- you were already my kid Peter, now we just happen to share some genes too,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter's eyes welled up with tears again, only this time they were accompanied by a bright smile as he threw his arms back around Tony's shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you Mr. Stark," he said, voice choked with emotion. "But don't even start- I know you, I know you feel guilty for not being there when I was a kid, and I'm not letting you go there- I forbid it. You didn't know, it wasn't your fault,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony chuckled softly, reaching up to ruffle Peter's hair lightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, I guess my hands are tied then huh?" He said, and Peter nodded against his shoulder. "But I think I can feel a little guilty for letting someone drop that bomb on you while you were being held hostage,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Actually- that's not how I found out,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait- how did you know before Hammer?" Tony leaned backwards, confusion on his face as he looked down at Peter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, we got assigned this research paper on Shield right? And Ned was just casually looking through the files that Ms. Romanoff released, and he found my name in it. So he clicked on it- and, well, you know the rest,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But I had Friday run that data, and she didn't see anything. I found Obadiah's paper trail once I started looking, but nothing in that file,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah uh…I </span>
  <em>
    <span>might've</span>
  </em>
  <span> had Ned delete that part so you wouldn't find it,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a pause in which Peter was sure Tony was screaming internally.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So you had Fred hack into a </span>
  <em>
    <span>government database</span>
  </em>
  <span> because somehow you got it in your head that you weren't one of the best things that ever happened to me, and I would throw you out onto the street if I figured out you were my son," Tony said slowly, exasperation clear on his features.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"For like the millionth time, his name is Ned, Mr. Stark,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I really hope that wasn't your only takeaway from what I just said," Tony said, his voice serious but still gentle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It wasn't- uh, I'm just- I'm really sorry, I think what I said earlier came out wrong-  it's just, I really didn't think this was going to work out you know? Cause like, I lost my Dad- well, my </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dad- but at least I had Ben, and then uh- and then I lost him too, so I didn't think I was going to be lucky a third time," Peter said softly. "I just- I really love spending time with you down in the lab, and I love our Great British Bake Off marathons when Ms. Potts is stressed out from work, and I love how you just </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> when I had a bad day at school so you take the long road to the compound and let me blast some music, and I was so scared all that would go away,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh cuore mio</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Tony sighed softly, the words rushing out of him before he could think, his mother's voice echoing the same words in the back of his head. If Peter knew what he said, he didn't show it, and Tony cleared his throat quietly before moving on. "Well, I hate to inform you, but someday you're going to live to regret those words- cause there's no way on Earth that I'm ever letting you go kiddo,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm ok with that," Peter said softly, smiling up at Tony as they walked back into the compound.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, and just for the record- I love you too Peter,"</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope that wasn't too bad! Angst is more of my comfort zone, so I hope you guys enjoyed my attempt at being a bit more fluffy! (Also just as a P.S. I just now realized that none of the italics I put in actually showed up in my other two stories, but I fixed it for this one. I'm literally the most oblivious person ever I can't believe it took me until now to notice)</p><p>And thank you so much to everyone who read, commented, or left kudos on my last two fics- you all absolutely made my day! Thank you! :) </p><p>We're heading back to the angst for tomorrow's story, so stay tuned!  </p><p>Feel free to come say hi on <a>tumblr</a> if you want to!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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